Showing posts with label Flowers and Plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flowers and Plants. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Transcendent, blue flowers, fingers and toes imprint painting

 


"Transcendent"
© Fawn McNeill 2026

". . . You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. . ."
Isaiah 58:11


Covered too much of the colored background when I got carried away with the globs of paint on the end of my happy toes dancing all over the place! Cracked me up!

Started with blues and purples and added white by tapping over the wet paint. Then I added more blues and some greens (using my toes).  After it dried, I used my fingertips for the centers and extra leaves.

Some of it seemed to overlap and mix well, and some did not, but I liked the odd effect. It has an other-worldly kind of feeling to it and reminds me of dreams of a better place. (Blue flowers are symbolic in literature for a longing for heaven.)

~ Original Art
~ Fingers and Toes Imprint Painting
~ Acrylic on Matboard
~ 7 x 10 inches
~ Email me for availability 
(Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com)



Monday, May 04, 2026

Homesick, knife and imprints painting, flowers, and path


"Homesick" 
© Fawn McNeill 2026

Did some imprinting lessons with my kids' art class.  Pure joy!  We used sponges, crumpled towels, palette knives, and fingers.  I love helping them discover new methods. I love their excitement and delight in the wonderful messes we make!

This is #5 in a new series I started after we did a few weeks of playing in the paint. (I'm still working on the first few, trying to get good images and give them titles. They won't get posted in order.)

I needed some healing in the grief and anguish of this past year.  (Read more.)

Blue flowers are symbolic for longing for heaven. I did not know that until recently.  It was cool to look back and see that these blue flowers have been showing up in my work a lot lately.

This painting actually started with globs of paint on a large palette on a tablecloth on the floor!  White blobs printed over dark blues and purples were imprinted with my toes! Some green toe prints were added next.  After the painting dried, I used a palette knife to add the path, and some of the grasses.  Loaded more globs of paint on my fingers to add detailed flowers and leaves. A fan brush was used to dab on some weeds. then I used my fingers for the fog once everything was completely dry.

Silly, fun, and messy, but satisfying as each piece is so unique and random! 

~ Original Art
~ Knife and Imprints Painting
~ Acrylic on Hardboard
~ Professional Materials
~ 9 x 12 inches
~ Antique gold, custom frame (see below)
~ SOLD









 

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Under Water, lily pads, mixed media

 


"Underwater" (Lily Pads)
© Fawn McNeill 2019

Not sure why I never updated this reworked painting. After closing my gallery from COVID, so many things ended up in storage.  I got this one out this week to show at Okeechobee Main Street.

This was originally a color scheme study in analogous greens, created years ago, from some photos I took at McKee's Botanical Gardens (in Vero Beach, FL.) I often took tons of pictures as I worked "en plein air" at paint-outs.  

I was amazed at how many different hues are in lily pads! 

I have gone back and removed the little snake that was resting on the lily pads (too many people objected!) Wish I had left him there, but I had fun adding more water and some beads to capture the transparency and glimmer. 



~ Original Gallery Wrap canvas
~ 6 x 12 inches
~ Painting continues on the sides (framing is optional)
~ $550.00





Thursday, January 01, 2026

Passing Storm, seascape, knife painting


"Passing Storm"
© Fawn McNeill, Dec. 2025

This painting is over a year in the making. I created it totally from memory.  (Usually, I work from my photos and/or sketches, but this time I worked without any references.)  
I experimented with contrasting the very smooth background with thick knife applications. 

I got carried away with the flowers and enjoyed splashing colors at odd angles.  My lighting and wind direction are not consistent, which was an attempt to create the feeling of shifting wind and light.

I'm proud of this one.  It turned out better than I anticipated, as most of my work this year remains unfinished or was destroyed.  Felt good to sign it!

~ Original Knife Painting
~ Acrylic on Hardboard
~ Professional Materials
~ 9 x 12 inches
~ Ready to frame
~ $450.00 (includes shipping)




 

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Christmas Church, mixed media


"Christmas Church"
© Fawn McNeill 2025



 

I just love this little country church on a snow-covered hill. Metallic paints dress up the ornaments and glitter paint makes the snow sparkle.  Red beads add another dimension to the berries on the bushes.  My young students still teach me to have fun with our Christmas projects!

I'm currently teaching a small private group at my home studio.  It is so healing for my broken heart.  

Read more at: Random Thoughts


~ Original acrylic on stretched canvas

~ 11x14 inches

~ Ready to Frame

$550.00 includes shipping

Click here to see more art


Thursday, March 30, 2023

Set in Stone 2, flowers in a stone planter, mixed media


"Set in Stone, 2"
© Fawn McNeill 2020


Close-up view in warm lighting.


Flowers jumping off the page! Literally!  This is a wonderful combination of color, pattern, and elements.  It is like a song with a beautiful melody.  Even the colors harmonize. Very few compositions come together so well, but this was the second one. The first was a learning experiment, and it was almost as lovely! 

I created this just after closing my gallery from the pandemic, and now it is framed in a wonderful gold frame that sets it off more than I could have hoped for!

Some of the flowers are actually charms that created nice cast shadows. This gives an extra emphasis on the painted shadows. Other flowers have beads in the middle that catch the light as you view the painting from different angles.

If you can't tell I am very partial to this piece!

~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Mixed Media on Hardboard
~ Professional Materials
~ 11 x 14 inches
~ Elaborate Gold Frame (see below)
~ SOLD



Cool lighting


Warm lighting


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Friday, January 27, 2023

Streams of Joy, knife painting


"Streams of Joy"
© Fawn McNeill 2020

From a demonstration painting originally. It is a little harder for students to get the hang of when you take the brushes away! Too much fun!

I added extra details and some butterflies later to finish it out.  

ENJOY!

  • Original Knife Painting
  • Acrylic on canvas
  • 11 x 14 in
  • Ready to frame
  • Not Available
Click here to see more

Email me at fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for information on having something similar created.
Custom orders are priced by size.





 

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Cliffside, ocean, trees


"Cliffside"
© Fawn McNeill 2019

Never posted this one, not sure how I overlooked it! 
Playing with texture, I added gel medium with a knife to create a buildup for tiny branches and bark on the trunks. When that dried it was interesting to add colors that enhanced the effect.
Enjoyed the whole process!

  • Original mixed media
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Custom frame
  • Professional materials
  • Sold
Click here to see more








 ge.

Friday, November 11, 2022

Breakthrough, water lilies, mixed media


"Breakthrough"




The young flower was coming up under a lily pad. Got some interesting photos of this area while I was out working En Plein Aire (on location).  Originally, I just wanted to capture the warm morning sunlight chasing the cool shadows away.  It made the many shades of green into a feast for the eyes!  But I got carried away with the impasto, hidden critters, and beads. I also added glitter paint here and there for a little extra shimmer in the water.

The impasto effects are made with heavy gesso and a palette knife. Some of the lily pads, lotus flowers, and the little stick that the snail is on are built up with it.

 The baby turtle is actually a metal charm that I primed with a primer that is made for use on metal (so the paint doesn't peel off).  He was just too shiny to leave unpainted!  I wanted him to blend in more.

The dragonfly is made from paper clay, which is an air-dry clay with paper fibers added to it for strength. I used a mold to make it. Paper clay is wonderful to work with for mixed media projects. It receives acrylic paint well. I added iridescent paint into hues of blue for his color.

The snail is made from a resin mold that a friend gave to me. Resin molds are harder to work with and are not easily painted over.  I used a special primer (different than the one used on metal) to get the snail to receive the acrylic paint. Again, I wanted to get him to blend in.

Gel medium (matte) and acrylic modeling paste were used for adhesives. (I use professional-grade primers, paints, mediums, and sealers for longevity.)

~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Mixed Media
~ Professional Materials
~ 8 x 10 inches
~ Elaborate Gold Frame (see below)
~ $800.00 (Free Shipping in the US)

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com




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Sunday, August 07, 2022

A Rose is a Rose



"A Rose is a Rose"
© Fawn McNeill 2007


 



While remodeling and organizing things this past year, I am also reframing some of the gems I find in storage.  

This is one of my Daily Paintings, back when I challenged myself to create about 5 paintings a week! Most of them were small, and many were quite impressionistic because I did them en Plein Air (on location) or alla prima (all in one session). This painting took a couple of sessions as I took my time to add more detail to it.

I love this frame. It reminds me of something you might see in a museum.  A quality frame can set off a painting, complimenting and enhancing it.  A frame also helps protect the artwork. This is essential if you have art created on paper or photos that you want to preserve.  These should be framed behind glass, with acid-free matting to slow down the aging process and to keep the art or prints off of the glass.  

  • Original art
  • Acrylic on hardboard
  • 5 x 7 inches
  • Elaborate gold frame (has a greenish tint to it)
  • SOLD


Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability

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Friday, July 29, 2022

Tree Tops, cardinals, impressionism


"Tree Tops"

Applied the paint quickly in this painting, for an impressionistic feel.  Actually, I created it years ago but never finished it. I just pulled it out of storage and added the cardinals and more details in the trees and bushes.  

What inspired me?  Those bright yellow greens contrasted by the deep dark shadows.  I went home and did some small thumbnail sketches so I could capture it later when I had time to paint it!

ENJOY!

  • Original art
  • Acrylic on hardboard
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Elaborate gold frame (see below)
  • $775.00 (free shipping in USA)
Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

 





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Thursday, June 23, 2022

Busy Morning, mixed media, colorful flowers, insects, and a frog


"Busy Morning"



    What can I say? I certainly got carried away with this little piece! 
    Honestly, I wasn't happy with it at first. It started as a palette knife painting. Nothing seemed to be working out.  I added more knife work and even used paper clay to build up the flowers.  (Paper clay is an air-dry clay that has paper fibers in it.  It dries stronger and is better suited for mixed media projects than regular air-drying clay.) But I still was not liking it. 
     Carol Jones (https://www.facebook.com/CarolsTreasuresFromTheSea), a close friend of mine, sent this resin frog as a gift with my order of seahorses and starfish. It made me smile each time I looked at it.  I moved it all around to see if it would look good and where I might add it.  It cracked me up! That got things moving.  I added some charms and then purchased some molds to make insects and flowers out of paper clay.  Thought I would use resin at first, but the paper clay worked so well I just kept making more.  
    The advantage of paper-clay is that I can paint it any color I want.  Resin stays as it was created, so you have to get the colors right when you make the mold.
    Painting the molded insects and flowers was time-consuming but enjoyable.  Each piece gave me a new idea of what else I wanted to add. I had to make myself stop because it was too much fun to keep adding more! 
    This breaks so many rules on so many levels!  So I went back and added shadows to the bottom and the left side of the painting (to tone it down some) and also to keep the viewer's eye in the painting.  I also used a solid color scheme of complementary colors throughout the project to harmonize the painting. 
    To top it all off, I made a shadow box frame for it and sealed it behind glass.  This added to the whole notion of a child capturing a frog in a jar!  So far everyone that sees it starts laughing.  That makes it all worth so much more!

ENJOY!

  • Original art
  • Mixed media
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Gold shadow box frame (see below)
  • SOLD









 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Wedding Roses, white roses

 

"Wedding Roses" 
© Fawn McNeill 2007

Here is another one I just reframed.  I think this fancy frame is perfect for it!  


This is another one of Kathy Papasso's frames that have been on sale at the Okeechobee Arts and Culture Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

  • Original art
  • Acrylic on hardboard
  • 5 x 7 inches
  • Elaborate silver frame
  • $525.00 (Free shipping in USA)
Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more 

Enchanted Morning, water lilies, great egret



"Enchanted Morning" 
© Fawn McNeill 2010

Just reframed this little favorite painting.  I did it on location (en plein air) quite a few years ago at White City Park, in Fort Pierce, Florida.  White City Park has always been one of the best places to do a paint-out.  It is hard to decide where to set up my easel!  By the river or near a pond, it doesn't matter because every painting turns out amazing.  

This is one of Kathy Papasso's frames I purchased at the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

Enjoy!

  • Original Plein Air painting
  • Acrylic on canvas
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Elaborate gold frame
  • $800.00 (free shipping in the USA) 
Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com




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Thursday, January 27, 2022

Reaching Up, abstract iris, knife painting


"Reaching Up"
© Fawn McNeill 2010

Fourth in a series that started with a little watercolor painting inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. I just got it out of storage and cleaned it up!

~ Original acrylic
~ Knife painting
~ 16 x 20 inches
~ Ready to frame
~ $870.00 (free shipping in the US)


Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability 
 

Monday, October 25, 2021

Victorian mural, woman, palms, flowers and egrets


Approximately 10 by 11 feet, located above the walkway cabinets across from 
the kitchen in a beautiful home.

(Sorry for the glare on the image, but there was no way to get a good capture.) 


This image has less glare


Finished this today! What a challenging project this was.  Totally out of my comfort zone, in subject matter, style, and the level of danger!  Really stretched me.
I got the wall primed in late August, and then got sick with COVID the next day.  It was 3 weeks before I got the first lay in started, and I wasn't handling the after affects very well at all.  Scroll down for the in-progress images...


I had to climb up onto the counter top and then climb up on top of the cabinet via the opened door and bottom shelf on the far right.  There was about 10 inches to stand on to reach up, so there was very little space for moving around.  Standing on a small ledge and reaching up was quite exhausting, especially since I was easily tired and still week from being so sick.

 I used a roller to prime it, and trimmed it with large brushes, but it was too difficult to use the roller to get the blending of the colors, so I used large brushes for that.  I had a couple of scary moments with trying to climb up or down: my hand slipped in the small space between the cabinet and the wall (my fingers just fit enough to pull my self up) on the top right side. Thought I was going to have to leave early to change my pants.


I searched rental shops and online for some kind of split scaffold.  I lost sleep over trying to figure out how to build something to make things safer.  I even asked the Good LORD to help me put something together.  This small scaffold idea came to me after I prayed about it! 
 I used clamps to make it easy to move and take apart, but still keep it sturdy.  Climbing up and down was still dangerous, and my body ached in more places than I could have imagined. I expected some soreness in my shoulders, hands, wrists, knees, and legs, but I did not know your ribs in your back had muscles that could get sore! Even my bottom hurt.  (I had already been achy in my joints from COVID, so I wasn't sure how much was from the awkward positions and how much was from the after affects.) Needless to say, I only put in a couple of hours at a time the first week, and I didn't go every day.


In the image below you can get a better look at the way I put two 1 x 4 boards together for each leg to stabilize it, and I made a bracer bar on the top and the bottom of the legs. I screwed that whole base part together. I made the top brace equal to the length of the plywood so I could clamp the base to the platform. I could slide the whole thing down as I moved to the right of the mural.

You can also see that I found an extension ladder that was perfect for this project - I was so excited about that!  So much safer.
I did put drop cloths on the whole length of the counter and the floor, which was a good thing when my bucket of dirty water went over board!  Oh, and my phone bit the dust on another day, cracked the screen protector.

Once I got to feeling stronger, I stayed for longer periods of time and started making good progress.  Staying for 4 to 5 hours each session sped the process up.  It was a total of five and a half weeks from when I actually started painting, but just over two months if you count the time I was quarantined.  

I am so proud of myself for sticking with it and finishing it up!  There were some serious doubts! 

Let me know what you think!
 

Thursday, October 07, 2021

Lovely Ladies, flowers, mixed media




"Lovely Ladies"

Normally I create a painting and then put it in a complimenting frame.  But this painting was a little backward.  I had this amazing custom frame that belonged to a dear friend that passed away, so I wanted something special that looked fantastic with it.  (See below.)

Honestly, it was too elaborate for most of my country and wildlife paintings until I tried it on this painting with the pretty yellow flowers, it looked like it might work. 

 I painted a few more flowers in key places (and let it dry) before moving some charms and gems around on it.  I tried different pieces. They looked okay, but I wasn't satisfied.    I wanted something demanding that stood out and grabbed my attention.  That way the frame would enhance the artwork and not take away from it.    

I found some earrings, broaches, and pendants at a thrift store within the next week, and I knew that the gorgeous red flower would be perfect for this project! I added the sparkly white flowers, some beads, and the pretty butterfly for balance. I thought it all came together nicely.  The digital image doesn't do it justice.  The way the light hits it at different angles is truly delightful.

Custom frames are quite expensive, but I love it.  This is a tribute to my dear friend, Deborah Flowers, who had exquisite taste.

Mixed Media
8 x 10 inches
Elaborate custom frame
$895.00 (includes shipping)

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com










Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Near The Window, mixed media flowers

 


"Near The Window"

Nice little mixed media painting. I only added a few beads this time.  Wanted to keep it simple but then I put it in a beautiful fancy frame (see below.) Really sets it off.

Thanks for looking!

Mixed media
5 x 7 inches
Custom frame
$385.00 
Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com